59 - Preliminary consecration of an image

The Lord said: 

14. The act of causing the presence of God Hari is said to be the adhivasana (preliminary consecration). Having contemplated on the self as the omniscient, all-pervasive and supreme spirit and having united one's self-conceited conscious energy with (the syllable) om and after having drawn it out and identifying one's own self with the all-pervasive lord, (the priest)should unite the earth with the wind, illuminate it with the fire particle (mentally), draw the fire with the wind (particle) and lead the wind into the ethereal space. The wisemanshould draw in the same order (the other gross elements) after having made them the receptacles of subtle principles along with the gross principles, the supreme being and the secondary forms such as the sadhya-s¹. 

1. They are refined secondary forms. See MW. p. 1202a.

5. The ethereal spaceshould be drawn into the mind (principle), the mind (in its turn)should be (drawn) into (the principle of) ego, (the principle) of ego in the (principle of) mahat (first principle). The mahatshould be led into the adyakrta (unmanifest). 

6-7. The unmanifest (is led) into the absolute knowledge known as Vasudeva. Being desirous to create he, the Lord of sound by means of the unmanifest brought into being Sankarshaņa (the principle) known as touch. He created Pradyumna the form of splendour by agitating the illusion. 

8. He created Aniruddha, (consisting of) taste only and Brahmå of the form of smell. That Aniruddha, the Brahma created water at first. 

9. He also laid the golden egg (of the five principles) in that(water). Impregnated with consciousness (this generated) a peculiar force within. 

10. The breath united with life force is spoken as existence. The inner being also known as the vyähsti² is a spiritual entity amidst the five winds (pråņāḥ). 

2. The mystic syllables bhah, bhuvah, suvah. 

11. Then intellect came into being associated with the praņa and with eight-fold modifications. Egoism was born then and the mind came out from it. 

12. Then the five (abstract) things were born possessing determination. They are known as sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. 

13. The sense-organs possessing consciousness were brought about by these. The skin, car, nose, eyes, tongue are the senseorgans. 

14. The feet, anus, arms, speech (mouth)and the genitals are the five organs of action. Listen (Ishall describe) the five elements. 

15. The ether, wind, light, water and earth (are the five elements). The gross body is composed of these elements and becomes the support for all. 

16. (Ishall presently) describe the mystic syllables signifying these and for being (mentally) placed on (the different parts of) the body. The letter ma which is the symbol of the inner selfshould be located to co-extend with (the body of) the deity. 

17. The letter bha which is the emblem of lifeshould be lodged in the differentiating individuality of the god. The letter ba which represents the intellectshould be located in the region of the heart. 

18. The letter pha representing the sense of egoshould also be located there itself. The letter pa representing the mindshould be located in the mental resolve. 

19. The letter na which is a symbol of the principle of soundshould be placed on the forehead. The letter dha which is the symbol of sense of touchshould be placed in the region of the face (of image). 

20. The letter da denoting the gradationsshould be placed in the region of the heart. The letter tha symbolising the sense of tasteshould be placed in the region of pelvis. 

21. The letter ta signifying the sense of smellshould be located on theshanks. After having located the letter na in the cars, the letter dhashould be located on the skin. 

22. The letter dashould be located in the two eyes, the letter tha in the tongue, the letter ta in the nose and the letter na in the speech. 

23. Having placed the letter jha representing the hands in the hands, a wise manshould place the letter ja in the feet, cha in the anus and ca in the genitals. 

24. The letter na symbolising the principle of carthshould be placed on the feet. The letter gha (should be placed) in the pelvis. (The letter)ga representing the principle of lustreshould be placed in the heart. 

25. The letter kha which represents the principle of windshould be placed in the nose. The letter ka signifying the principle of ethershould be assigned to the forehead by the wise. 

26-27. The letter ya denoting lord Sun having been placed in the lotus of the heart, the letter sa possessing sixteen digitsshould be placed in the seventy-two thousand (rays) emanating from the (lotus) heart. The priest fully initiated in the mystic syllablesshould contemplate on the point (bindu) representing the region of fire in the middle of it. 

28. The excellent letter ha along with the syllable om (pranava)should be placed there. Om, am, salutations to the parameshtyatman.¹ Am, salutations to purushalman². 

1. The word Paramestin denotes the supreme being or one of the forms af Trinity. 

2. This means a supreme being. 

29. Om, Vam, salutations to the eternal being! Nam, salutations to the soul of the universe! Om, vám, salutations to the soul of all beings! Thus the five forms of energies have been described. 

30. The first one (of the above five syllables)should be used for the place, the second one for the seat, the third one for the bed, and the fourth one for the drink. 

31. The fifth one is used at every worship. These (five mystic syllables) are known as the five upanishads. The syllable humshould be placed in the middle after having contemplated on Hari, composed of mystic syllables. 

32. Whichever form of the deity is being installed oneshould assign the particular principal mystic syllable of that form afterwards. The principal syllable of Vasudeva is Om, salutations to Lord Vasudeva! 

33. (The different forms of the god)should be (mentally) assigned to (the different parts of the body such as) the head, nose, forehead, face, neck, heart, arms,shanks and feet in order. (The manifestation known as) Keśavashould be assigned to the head (of the image). 

34. Näráyanashould be assigned to the face, Madhava to the neck, Govinda to the arms, (and) Vishņu to the heart. 

35. Madhusudanashould be assigned to the hinder part, Våmana to the belly, Trivikrama to the hip (and) Sridhara to theshank. 

36. Hrushikeśa (should be assigned) on the right side, Padmanabha on the ankle, Damodara on the feet. 

(This is assignment) in the six limbs commencing with the heart. 

37-39. O most virtuous one! This is general mode of assignment of Vishnu. In the alternative, the installation of which form of the deity has been begun, oneshould infuse life into the image with the principal mystic syllable of that form. The first letter of the name of any form of a deityshould be used along with the twelve vowels and assigned to the different parts of image such as the heart. O Lord of celestials! the principal mystic syllableshould consist of ten syllables. 

40. The principlesshould be placed in the body in the same order as they are found in the god. Lord Vishņushould be worshipped with perfumes etc., in thc diagram of a lotus inscribed in a circle. 

41. Oneshould contemplate on the seat as before together with the limbs and cover. Then oneshould imagine an auspicious disc over that as having twelve radii. 

42. The circle (should be imagined) as having three concentric naves and two outer circles and filled with the vowels. The wise manshould then place the prakruti(the nature, the source of the material world) and other principles. 

43-44. The sun godshould again be worshipped at the tips of the spokes in the twelve-fold way¹ and the moon possessing three-fold armies and sixteen phasesshould be contemplated therein. The excellent worshippershould contemplate on a lotus flower of twelve petals.

1. Consisting of twelve names of Sun, 

45. The effulgent energy of the supreme beingshould be contemplated and worshipped in the centre (of the lotus flower) by the priest. Having located (Lord) Hari in that image, oneshould worship him as well as the celestials. 

46. Keśava and othersshould be worshipped well with twelve mystic letters² with perfumes, flowers etc. and with their attendants and enclosures, in due order. 

2. On namo bhagavate vasudevdya. 

47-48. The twice-bornshould worship the guardian deities of quarters and others in the circular diagram of twelve radii. The imageshould then be worshipped with perfumes and flowers and with the puruṣasukta.¹ The pedestalshould be worshipped with the Srisukta.² The sacrificial fire relating to Vishņushould be kindled in the prescribed manner.

 1. RV. 10. 90. 

2.RVkh. 5.87.1a.

49. Having made oblation unto the fire with the sacred syllables the wise priestshould sanctify waters and consecrate the image (by sprinkling waters). Then heshould kindle fire. 

50. The wise priestshould kindle fire in the pit on the south with the mystic syllable agnim hutam³ and in the pit on the east with the syllable agnim agnim⁴. 

3. Could not be identified.

4. Cf. RV. 1.12.2a.

51. In the fire pit on the north, the fireshould be kindled with the mystic syllable agnim agnim havimabhiḥ⁵ and the sacred syllable to be used to kindle fire in general is tvam agne hyagnirucyase.⁶ 

5. Cf. RV, 1.12.2a. 

6. Could not be identified. 

52. Oneshould place one thousand and eight twigs of the palaša tree in each one of the fire pits and offer grains withvedic hymns. 

53. Clarified butter and sesamum (should be offered to fire) with the vydhrutis (Om bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, suvaḥ) and ghee with the principal mantra. Oneshould perform the appeasing oblation with the three sweet things.⁷ 

7. Sugar, honey and clarified butter.

54. Oneshould then touch the feet, navel, heart and forehead with (the utterance of) twelve mystic sullables (of the god). After having offered ghee, curd and milk, the head of the imageshould again be touched. 

55. After having touched the head, navel, and feet, (the priest)should make four rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari and Sarasvati present there by pronouncing their names. 

56. (The rivers)should be dried up by the recitation of the Vishnugayatri⁸ and the sacrificial gruelshould be boiled with (the recitation of) the gayatri. Oneshould offer oblation, offer the victim and feed the twice-borns afterwards. 

8. ndrudyavdya vidmahe vasudevdya dhtmahi tanno visnuh prachodayat. 

57. For the satisfaction of the singer of samans oneshould give gold and cows to the spiritual preceptor. Having made offerings to the guardian deities of the quarters, oneshould spend night in vigil. By singing the praise of the brahman one gets fruits of the consecration rite.